Hear from Valerie’s House Teens
Valerie’s House Teens Provide Virtual Tour
Join some of the Valerie's House teens on a quick tour through our facilities at our Fort Myers location.
Ashley’s Story
Ashley is a teen in the Valerie's House program whose mom died last year. She recently completed volunteer training to be a group night buddy and support grieving children like her.
In addition to her volunteer work, Ashley put together these special bags for new kids enrolled in the Valerie's House program as a part of her senior project at Canterbury School in Fort Myers. Each bag has a journal and a personal letter to help our children feel less alone.
Thank you, Ashley, for being so considerate and welcoming our new families with open arms.
Kaitlyn’s Story
Kaitlyn’s dad died the day before her 17th birthday.
She remembers the day the first signs of her dad’s cancer showed. He had been coughing for months and had pain in his throat, but he put off going to the doctor. She remembers one specific day she called her dad and learned that he was in the hospital because he wasn’t feeling well.
“I'm sure anyone who loses a loved one comes to the realization that life keeps going, even if we are not ready for it. Some cope with this truth better than others. I can’t say that I coped well, but I do know the reality of his death hit me so intensely I was left stunned. I didn’t know my life would soon be changing forever.”
Shortly after her loss, Kaitlyn began coming to Valerie’s House for support.
Mackenzie’s Story
Mackenzie didn’t know what would happen after her mother died of complications from a stroke in February 2020. Her mother was a single parent, and after her death, 16-year-old Mackenzie moved across the state from Port Saint Lucie to Naples to live with distant family.
Due to the COVID lockdown weeks after her tragic loss, Mackenzie was forced to grieve in isolation. However, after finding Valerie’s House through the recommendation of a school counselor, she no longer feels like she is grieving alone.
“Valerie’s House gave me comfort and gave me friends,” Mackenzie said. “It didn’t feel like normal therapy; it felt like I was having conversations about my grief with friends who understood and didn’t just pretend to understand. I was able to talk about how I felt and what I was going through without judgment.”
Alexis’ Story
Check out this video from Alexis, who is a Valerie's House teen. She started coming to group night after the loss of her grandmother in 2020. Alexis plans to graduate from Mariner High School in the spring and recently started working with our grief support groups as a buddy. She created this video in hopes of receiving a scholarship to pursue higher education. We are so proud of Alexis for her hard work and dedication to the children of Valerie's House.
Savannah’s Story
Savannah lost her dad suddenly and didn’t know what to do with her grief. Valerie’s House has given her coping skills, hope for her future, and lasting friendships.
Grady’s Story
Grady is a Valerie’s House teen who lost his mother. Hear his personal story on how he found friendship and hope at Valerie’s House and learned he wasn’t alone in his grief.
Austin’s Story
Lost, numb, and just going through the motions—that’s how Valerie’s House Teen Ambassador Austin Wolin described himself in the year and a half after his father’s unexpected death.
“I don’t even think I realized I was grieving at the time,” Austin said, who was just twelve when he lost his dad, Harris. His grades were suffering, he turned to unhealthy coping mechanisms to get by, and he felt completely alone. Austin’s relationship with his mother, Tanya, had also become strained after the devastating loss.
